Jeanneau NC 14

To quote Jeanneau’s marketing spiel, the original driving spirit behind the concept was “an apartment on the water, with a terrace and a sea view.” And if that is what the company was aiming at, they’ve achieved it.

The design is typically modern European with sharp lines and distinctly contemporary look.

There is a stack of versatility built into the NC 14, starting with the cockpit and big sliding saloon doors. The cockpit is dominated by U-shaped lounge and table. The lounge is on tracks and can be moved fore and aft. The forward position gives more room on the big hydraulic swim platform whereas when the unit is pulled aft, and locked into its position, it gives more room for entertaining or lounging.

The four-piece sliding saloon doors can be moved fully to either side and when across to port, the backrest of the saloon lounge can be lifted forward to make it an aft-facing seat, giving a real indoor/outdoor flavour to the boat.

With the doors on the starboard side, there’s direct access to the galley which runs down the port side. The fridge is front opening with a wood-finished door that matches the rest of the cabinetry and the lid covering the two-burner electric cooktop and sink lifts on gas struts. Below this is a large convection/microwave oven. The galley would work well for a couple or small family but we’d rather a larger cooktop for dinner parties.

It’s from here too that the TV rises up at the flick of a switch to give those on the saloon lounge a perfect view. Our test boat was fitted with the optional satellite receiver and Foxtel connection.

The helm is a real beauty, with a big double seat with a flip-up bolster so you either sit high with a commanding view of the foredeck and the road ahead, or lower for more relaxed style of driving. A welcome addition is the driver’s door so you can easily access the walkaround deck for docking or anchoring.

Opposite the helm is another example of the versatile nature of this boat. This area can be used as a dinette that’s great for a couple to have dinner or breakfast with a view. But fold the seat back and drop the table down and you have a terrific daybed. Open the electric sunroof and it’s a lounge out of the breeze perfect for sunbaking.

Move down below and the tricks keep coming. The aft cabin is a twin which, with the inclusion of the infill, can soon morph into a big double. Hanging space and drawers are provided, along with two opening ports for ventilation. As our test boat came with the optional air-conditioning, there were also vents for heating and cooling.

The second bathroom is to starboard with electric loo and, shower and vanity.

Move forward to the owner’s cabin and we find a big island double bed that splits into two singles if you don’t like each other that much, or want to put the kids in there for a while. The ensuite is a beauty. It’s big and roomy with a separate shower that looks almost big enough for two.

The forward cabin has two hatches with screens and opening ports for cross-flow ventilation if you don’t want to run the air. There are also his and her wardrobes and plenty of storage nooks for your valuables, books and other accoutrements that tend to find their way into your cabin.

While we’re on the subject of storage there’s plenty of it to be found on the NC 14. As this is a pod-driven boat, the engines are well aft leaving a big void under the saloon. Jeanneau has turned this into a utility room which is accessed via a hatch in the saloon floor and a ladder leading down. This is where the optional washer/dryer is fitted, along with a second fridge or freezer. There are also shelves in here for things like extra lifejackets and other safety gear.

Forward is another area where you can access all the electrics and aft is a clever set of drawers where you could keep tools and spares.

Jeanneau tells us that they conducted expensive hydrodynamic testing with this hull to get maximum performance while still having a comfortable ride.

The NC 14 is the first of the range to get Volvo’s IPS system. Our test boat was fitted with the optional larger engines which were IPS 500 D6 370hp items as opposed to the standard IPS 400 D4 300hp.

Access to the electrics via the afore-mentioned utility room is good but I found the engine room -- accessed through a hatch in the cockpit -- to be tight. It is fairly easy to check the oil, but more than that could be a chore.

With the wind gusting to around 30 knots, we headed the NC 14 out to see how she handled it.

As with most of these style of boats with a shallow forefoot, they develop a distinctly ‘bow-out’ attitude on the plane, and the NC 14 certainly has this. As you can see by the photos, when on the plane about a metre or more of the boat is out of the water. This is fine for really smooth water but as the entry is at a relatively wide part of the boat, it can cause a bit of slapping under the hull on a nasty day as we had.

Pushing into the lumpy sea, we soon found a sweet spot for the boat to sit on that was comfortable and didn’t thump too much. We found that the boat liked a slow cruise of around 13 knots at 2300 rpm where it was burning around 60 litres per hour.

Turning back with the sea behind us, we opened her up a bit more and at 3000 revs we were doing a respectable 24 knots at a burn of 100 litres per hour. Top speed was around 30 knots. Down sea, the boat was lovely tracking true through the waves and really comfortable. The Volvos were not noisy, with us able to hold a conversation easily at the helm.

With Volvo’s fly-by-wire controls the NC 14 was extremely responsive and reacted instantly to throttle input. Steering was light and fairly direct but probably not as responsive to changes as the throttles. Or was it just that the throttle response was so good?

Equally good was the manoeuvrability with Volvo’s joystick. We’ve rambled on about this system a lot in the past so we won’t go on about it again. Suffice to say that this is a very easy boat to park or manoeuvre in close quarters.

During our test we did get some water over the foredeck and windscreen (which the wipers and freshwater washers took care of) and even a bit in the cockpit, but it was a very windy day with a lot of water moving about.

As with most modern boats, the versatility of the layout lends itself to all-weather boating. In summer you can open it all up and slide the big sunroof back for a real indoor/outdoor feel, and splash around on the hydraulic swim platform. Or for winter boating, it’s cosy and warm with the reverse-cycle air heating the saloon and cabins.

Sure its styling and concept are very Euro chic, and may not appeal to all, but that’s the way boat design seems to be heading. So be prepared to see quite a few of these style of boats tied up outside stylish restaurants or anchored in secluded bays in the future.